Mac-The-Cat Around The World

Val Gardena #6

2010-01-16T16:04:00.003Z

Just to show how much goes on in 1h15m... the wind, the clouds taking over the mountains, their shadow cast by the full moon, the stars "rotating", the planes (middle left), the cars, people switching lights on and off... Val Gardena, view from the hotel.

Val Gardena #5

2010-01-16T15:23:00.003Z

Pedro Pimentel, the usual suspect :)

Val Gardena #4

2010-01-15T00:16:00.003Z

We were looking for slopes like this all the time, but they seemed to be few and far between across the immense Dolomiti Superski domain. Pedro Pimentel making the most of one of them.

A family of four riding on a ski lift near Danterpieces.

Val Gardena #3

2010-01-13T23:08:00.003Z

A panoramic view of Sella Ronda, in the heart of the Dolomites. The highest peak is 3151m high and the small trees on the bottom right are at 2000m (at most). Yep, this image fails to show the grandeur of the scenery :(
This image is the result of stitching 3 shots.

Selva Gardena's cemetery. In the background, that's right, the Dolomites.

Val Gardena #2

2010-01-10T01:06:00.003Z

This is Pedro Pimentel eating it (ahhh, sweet revenge).
Pedro often said that were we in La Mongie and places like this would be fully traced before 10am. It's a good thing people at Val Gardena take the "off-piste skiing forbidden" signs seriously :-)

Val Gardena #1

2010-01-07T23:17:00.006Z

(Warning: the burst above requires a few moments of your time, please wait for all images to load (10MB)).
Although these images were actually taken while coming back from Val Gardena, flying over the Italian/French Alps, I thought they would be suitable for this first post. More to come soon.

Azores v.4.13

2009-10-03T21:46:00.005Z

After loooong weeks of waiting for the slide film to be processed... and a couple of hours fidgeting with the film scanner and photoshop, here they are, the underwater pictures:

If you can hear them, you eventually end up seeing them...
A group of (spotted?) dolphins materialize between sun rays converging in the BLUE.

A soft encounter? hardly...

Three spotted graciously swimming by.

Some mackerel (?) on the run...

... and if dolphins weren't enough, they have to keep an eye on Cory's shearwaters too.

Two bird-like-patterned common dolphins say hi.

"We're going down, want to join us?"

(and to end with, the best moment)
Head above the water, I saw this spotted dolphin coming directly at me some 30m away. Dove a couple of meters and waited for it to materialize straight ahead... it then swerved while making eye contact... and somehow I managed to capture this.

Azores v. 4.12

2009-08-29T02:38:00.004Z

The perfect flying machine. It's amazing how Cory's shearwaters are able to "surf" every ripple of the ocean's surface (which this image fails to show), without touching the water, and using all the energy for their flight. This image is a small tribute to a run over Cory's shearwater I saw yesterday...

Common dolphins and Cory's shearwater chasing a "ball" of fish. Notice the baby-dolphin just next to mama-dolphin.

Another common dolphin says hi...

A 15 minute exposure with some cows preparing to sleep and Pico mountain in the background. I used a flashlight to "paint" the cows.
...
Got a plane to catch...
I can't wait to see the underwater shots... this film-age waiting thing is agonizing, I missed it :)

Azores v. 4.11

2009-08-28T01:06:00.004Z

Today was a particularly uninspired day behind the camera. Missed all the good moments and ruined almost all shots. A sperm whale waving goodbye and saying hello to some poor squid on the bottom.

Another sperm whale.

A tough striped (?) dolphin exhibits his scars.

Going back home, road to São Roque do Pico from Lages do Pico.

Azores v. 4.10

2009-08-26T22:00:00.004Z

No dolphins today :( :( :( ... and a lot of wind and some swell out in the ocean.
I guess they were right, the first day was unusually good... let's hope today was unusually bad.
However, in sperm whale (Physeter macrocephalus) terms, it was great! The photos came out too bad because of the rocking of the zodiac (a great excuse, eh, eh), the following two images made the cut though :)

Notice the single blowhole on the sperm whale's left side and, on the left of the image, that white speck over the hill is the watch tower from which whales and dolphins are sighted and their locations radioed to the zodiac.

"Whale watchers usually say aaaaah when I do this"

I spent the rest of the day trying to dodge the rain on the south coast of Pico... When I returned to São Roque it was sunny...
I like this image, even though it looks like it was taken in Ukraine.

Two kids take their laser class sailboat out of the water in São Roque. In the background, that's right, Pico Mountain.

Local kids discuss ice-cream flavors in São Roque docks.

Azores v. 4.9

2009-08-25T22:38:00.005Z

Difficult conditions today, choppy sea... and each group of dolphins we encountered seemed determined to avoid us changing direction every time. It was thus very nice to stumble upon this group of pilot whales. I don't know if they are short or long finned pilot whales (Globicephala macrorhynchus or Globicephala melas, respectively). They swim rather slowly, at least in comparison with the dolphins we've seen so far.

"There, I had told you I had to breathe!"

Whale or human watching?

A nice little church with Pico's mountain in the background near São Caetano.

Landscape of the Pico Island Vineyard Culture, a world heritage site. Faial and Ilhéus da Madalena in the background.

The Atlantic pounding some "biscoitos" near Criação Velha. Faial in the distance.

Azores v. 4.8

2009-08-24T23:08:00.004Z

After many, many years dreaming about it and seeing The Deep Blue I don't know how many times, today was THE day! Went swimming/floating with dolphins!!!!!!! Soft encounters, as they say, since you enter the water and, without actually swimming towards the dolphins, you wait for them to approach you... if they feel like it.
This was not the case. Although there were many dolphins, they seemed to be heading somewhere in a big hurry and, so, we just saw them going by, basically.
It is an overwhelming experience.......... one I would enthusiastically recommend... and I really cannot express what I felt and still am feeling...
I'll have to wait for the film of my underwater camera to be developed, the good old fashion way... I just hope the photos are not completely ruined. I'll be more than happy with one good frame, as I have the whole video still very vivid in my mind.
Next, my above-the-water-shots. All the featured dolphins, the "same" we floated with, are atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis; golfinho pintado in portuguese).
Last, but not certainly least, swimming in the BLUE is in itself almost too much.........

A Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea; Cagarro in portuguese) glances himself in the surface.

"Hi there!", "Hellooooo!".

This is a soft encounter. Two persons at a time, floating. I was next!

This is a different kind of Cory's shearwater. It is darker and has a nice beer-belly which it drags clumsily in the water when taking off.

Playground!

So many... and the BLUE.

"Say, your fins are kind of weird"

Aaaaaaah....

Aaaaaaaaaaaah!

Azores v. 4.7

2009-08-23T23:24:00.006Z

This fisherman was just coming from the sea and proudly unloading his catch in Santo Amaro's little port. He then quickly returned for more.

I can't remember the name of this place, but it's near Santo Amaro. You can see roofs like this one, reinforced with lava rocks, throughout the Azores. I guess the tale of the Three Little Pigs and the Big Bad Wolf goes on a little bit different around here :)

I struggled to get the BLUE of the ocean right and this was the better I managed to. I kept changing camera settings but to no avail... grrrrrr...! It then started pouring. Typical. To give you an idea of how clear the water is, the rocks you can see underwater are at least 4m deep. Baía de Engrade.

Calheta de Nesquim is a picturesque little village on the southeastern coast of Pico very much worth a visit. I'll surely get back there sometime this week.

This was taken on a dark, dangerous path on the edge of earth, leading somewhere... I'll be back with a machete, bear traps and mountain boots instead of sandals.

Injured animals keep coming at me... I couldn't understand why Bugs was unable to run, he was just happily walking on the tarmac when I saw him.

He's this big... I left him in a sunny patch of grass, hoping for the best...

(...)

... and, tomorrow is the big day! I won't be able to share the images, as they will be in slide and b&w film (!!!), but I will try and put together some words about the experience, eh, eh, eh!

Azores v. 4.6

2009-08-22T22:38:00.008Z

This is São Roque do Pico, as seen from São Miguel Arcanjo.

At the end of the day, the omnipresent Pico mountain looked like a nuclear blast.

A common tern (Sterna hirundo), garajau in portuguese, shows how to lick the elbow.

I bet these are all females ;)

I like this image as it shows the common tern lit by the sun and a dark cloud looming behind it. This is rather typical in the Azores, the weather changes every minute.

I found it very hard to keep their flight within the frame, they are lightning fast!

Azores v. 4.5

2009-08-22T02:42:00.008Z

I still remember some postcards I bought back in 1993 when I first came to the Azores, picturing a family of sperm whales underwater close to Lages do Pico. Since then, I keep saying "You've got to go there" year after year.
With great expectations, I boarded one of Espaço Talassa's whale watching zodiacs today. Although what I really wanted to see were sperm whales, none showed up. But that's the way it goes. Maybe some other time ;)

Engine, ok; flaps, ok; control tower, ok. A Cory's shearwater (Calonectris diomedea; Cagarro in portuguese) takes off.

Some common dolphins (Delphinus delphis) and, I believe, at least one striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba, on the right), gracefully swimming between our zodiac and Pico's mountain.

Another Cory's shearwater.

This is a fin whale (Balaenoptera physalus; baleia comum in portuguese), which is a rare sight this time of year as she (?) should have traveled through the Azores back in May. Let's hope she (there's no turning back now) catches favorable currents!

"Okay, guys, let's go, flight formation Fox 2 Delta 9!"

An atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis; golfinho pintado in portuguese).

"Guts out!"

A group of atlantic spotted dolphins escorted our zodiac when we left the area where they were feeding...

This is the view halfway through (I was told) to Pico's mountain top... that was the farthest I went :(
Made my usual mistake whether I'm running, riding the bike or trekking by starting on full throttle. The result: no more water... and the fact that I would have to descend alone in the dark made me abort the mission. Lame enough?

On my way down: Horta (in Faial) and Madalena.

Azores v. 4.4

2009-08-22T00:51:00.004Z

Yesterday (the 20th) was a rather long day, a lot of driving... these are some moments:

Right cow: "What's the hurry, young man?"
Left cow: "Step away, he's mine!"

There's this long straight road (the "longitudinal") in Pico, which is really hard to drive... straight.

"The sea is so calm and blue..."

This is where I've been going to the "beach". There's great snorkeling on the other side of the rocks.

Two "vejas" (Sparisoma cretense), the red one being the female, speared by a local kid underwater.

Spooky... Mordor's Land of Shadow came to my mind.
The Pico mountain, seen from Lagoa do Capitão.

Azores v. 4.3

2009-08-19T23:47:00.008Z

These lava fields near Pico airport make life hard but not impossible.

Ermida de S. Mateus in Cabrito, on the northwestern coast of Pico, against an overcast sky.

Cais do Mourato is a nice little village where locals spend the summer. Some crazy kids having fun on a rough sea. In the distance, you can see Faial.

I guess teenagers act similarly everywhere.

People no longer leave the keys under the mat, which is sad.

Cais do Mourato, once again.

I think yacht owners should be obligated to host whoever wanted to spend a few days on their boats. It'd only be fair, ah!
Madalena, Pico.

This is only the second time I was able to see Pico's peak. The first time, yesterday, I ruined several frames in a few seconds. Not that this one's perfect, but I like anyhow. Madalena, Pico.

Azores v. 4.2

2009-08-18T23:53:00.007Z

Woke up to beautiful weather, but decided to drive the mighty Micra through some clouds today.

Decisions, decisions...

Food!

"Check out my hairdo!"

"Say, is that a Canon?"

Santo Amaro, on the north shore of Pico. On the horizon, São Jorge and some clouds too!

That's São Roque do Pico in the distance, my place :P

A church in Prainha.

A garajau (Sterna hirundo hirundo) screaming his way to somewhere.

"If you dare to park your car here, we'll dispatch you!"

Azores v. 4.1

2009-08-17T23:25:00.007Z

Here I am again, for the fourth time!

Biscoitos (that's right, biscuits!), a rugged stretch of coast on Terceira's northern coast, is a great "introduction" to the unique azorean BLUE. Since I had a few hours between flights, I thought I should return to the place after 16 years (... jeez, this doesn't sound good) and leave some knee and elbow flesh on the sharp lava rocks. There, done.

"Veja só esta veja (Sparisoma cretense), tire uma foto a esta veja!"
The thick azorean accent is a bit hard to understand. This proud fisherman was on his way to the grill, whereas I was feeling like Averell Dalton as a fat cow crossed the road.

Lava rock walls provide shelter to some vineyards near Biscoitos.

Captain, sir... this plane looks kind of slow at 1/1000s.

Quechua quechua under a Castanea sativa.

This is across the road from the campsite. Deep, clear water... dark cliffs... screaming garajaus (Sterna hirundo hirundo) by the dozen... I guess I'll be allright.

Night falls over São Roque do Pico.

Is that you, Moby?

Vortex

2009-07-19T22:15:00.004Z

Sweaty palms, tachycardia, distress... all will end on the 23rd, or maybe not.

Photoburst

2008-04-23T16:29:00.006Z

I recently teamed up with two friends of mine and launched a Travel Photography daily contest website. We are looking for striking photos/bursts exhibiting what TRAVEL is all about!
We hope to deliver a high quality website, which means a lot of work...that's the reason why I haven't posted any photos lately on this blog. I'll be back soon...

You may check Photoburst's website here.

Only in USA - last impressions

2008-03-31T01:00:00.008Z

"All set?" Georgetown, Washington DC.

Georgetown, Washington DC.

Near Georgetown University, Georgetown, Washington DC.

They better... Pizzeria in Washington DC.

"Magnanimity in politics is not seldom the truest wisdom", said Edmund Burke.

Mustang! Washington DC

Only in USA VII

2008-03-30T19:07:00.008Z

Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.

The Washington Monument in the background, just in front of Lincoln Memorial, Washington DC.

Near the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington DC.

Vietnam Veterans Memorial, Washington DC.

A wealthy squirrel near the Federal Reserve, Washington DC.

Only in USA VI

2008-03-29T23:45:00.007Z

A wedding in Maryland.

M-street, Washington DC, near National Geographic Society headquarters.

This is how every tough motor biker should read his newspaper. Georgetown, Washington DC.

In the land of equal opportunities... Georgetown, Washington DC.

"What?" Georgetown, Washington DC.

Only in USA V

2008-03-29T03:02:00.007Z

Were I a student today and happen to come across such facilities... and it would be difficult not to apply to the University of Maryland. I think the next 4 photos explain why.